Brief Summary
Jason Weiser discusses his unconventional game design course at Tufts University, which combines multiple semesters' worth of material into a single term. He addresses concerns about the course's intensity and scope, explaining how he uses teamwork, a comprehensive course website, and "stacking theory" to ensure students succeed without burning out. The course covers tabletop game design, digital game development using Unity, 3D art, programming, and more, all while fostering a supportive and collaborative environment.
- The course integrates multiple game design disciplines into one semester.
- Teamwork and peer support are central to the course's success.
- Stacking theory introduces concepts gradually to reduce student stress.
Introduction: The Crazy Pants Course
Jason Weiser introduces his game design course at Tufts University, which covers an extensive range of topics including tabletop game design, alternate reality games, game testing, Unity game engine, C# programming, 3D and 2D art, audio, paper prototyping, level design, VR, team building, digital prototyping, pipeline development, team management, and marketing. The course's comprehensive nature was questioned by Ian Schreiber, who wondered if such a broad approach could yield decent quality games or if it would result in complete failures. Jason aims to demonstrate the course's effectiveness, highlighting its engaging projects, originality, and student success stories, including games published on Steam and app stores.
Background and Teaching Philosophy
Jason shares his background as an animator, game designer, and educator, detailing his experience animating for games, museums, robots, and television. He reflects on his early teaching career, where he aimed to pack his courses with as much content as possible, driven by students' desire for knowledge. However, his teaching philosophy shifted around 2011 when he began teaching students with diverse interests, leading him to focus on concept mastery and confidence-building through smaller, manageable projects.
The Tufts Experiment: A Multi-Course Curriculum in One
Jason describes how he came to design the game design course at Tufts University. Initially suggesting a typical multi-course curriculum, he was asked to condense it into a single class. This led him to combine five semesters' worth of game design education into one term, covering tabletop game design, level design, game environment art, programming, and prototyping. Despite the challenge, he promised to teach students to think and plan before coding, and to experience a team software development pipeline. The course was presented as an experiment, with its continuation dependent on student satisfaction.
Course Structure and Support Systems
To ensure the course's success and student well-being, Jason implemented several support systems. He requested teaching assistants for coding labs and a flexible classroom to facilitate group work and play testing. Every assignment was built around teamwork to foster motivation and creativity, providing students with a supportive network. A comprehensive course website was created, offering clear expectations, resources, a detailed schedule, homework reminders, lecture notes, assignment rubrics, tutorial videos, and examples from past students.
Stacking Theory: Layering Concepts for Gradual Learning
Jason explains his use of "stacking theory" to structure the lessons. This approach involves focusing on one critical topic for each week's homework while introducing two to three other relevant ideas or toolsets that will be important later. For example, basic 3D modelling and texturing are introduced a month before students need to use them for homework. This allows students to gradually absorb new concepts without the pressure of immediate deadlines, reducing stress and frustration.
A Week-by-Week Breakdown: Samantha's Journey
Jason walks through the course week by week, following a hypothetical student named Samantha. The first six weeks focus on tabletop games, with students working in teams to design and play test games. They learn about mechanics, story, and radical revision. Later weeks introduce Unity, 3D modelling, and VR tools, with students creating digital games based on workplace routines. The goal is to expose students to a wide range of tools and concepts, allowing them to make mistakes and learn from them in a low-stakes environment.
Final Projects and Team Formation
After the initial weeks, students brainstorm ideas for their final projects and pitch them to the class. Using a system inspired by the MIT Game Lab, students vote for the projects they want to work on, and teams are formed based on these votes. Jason rebalances roles to ensure each team has programmers and artists. He advises students to be open to changes and trust the iterative process. The teams then spend several weeks drafting design documents, creating paper prototypes, and building their games in Unity, with weekly play testing and adjustments.
Marketing, Presentation, and Course Influences
In the final weeks of the course, students learn about marketing and prepare trailers and websites for their games. The course culminates in a final presentation where teams showcase their games, trailers, and websites to guests. Jason acknowledges the many influences on his course, including methodologies from the MIT Game Lab, design workshops from GDC, and theories from prominent game designers like Jesse Schell and Jane McGonigal.
Evaluation, Accountability, and Industry Connection
Jason discusses how student success is evaluated, focusing on clarity, innovation, immersion, flow, and fiero. He emphasises that grades are based on collaboration, experimentation, and risk-taking, not just the success of the games. Accountability is maintained through weekly game play, task divisions, personal progress reports, and peer evaluations. Students are also expected to attend an off-campus networking event to connect with the game industry.
Course Outcomes and Student Success
Jason shares that he has taught the course nine times at Tufts and Harvard, witnessing students build confidence, creativity, and teamwork skills. He highlights the playable, beautiful, and often weird games that students create. He shares the example of "Displaced," a game where the player gets worse the more they play, defying conventional game design wisdom. He expresses pride in his students' achievements and the joy of teaching the course.
Q&A: Addressing Concerns and Sharing Insights
During the Q&A, Jason addresses questions about the experience level of his students, the structure of the class, and how to manage conflicts within teams. He explains that Tufts students are typically strong programmers, while Harvard students have a wider range of skills. He emphasises the importance of breaking up lectures with interactive activities, establishing ground rules for teamwork, and providing students with opportunities to practice communication and conflict resolution. He also makes himself available to students for support and guidance.
